What to ask a roofing contractor




Presumably, if you are contacting a contractor in the first place, you have reason to believe that your roof is in need of repair or replacement. Maybe you know what you need, and maybe you are in need of a little advice and hoping a roofing contractor can provide it. Just keep in mind, contractors are in business to make money, and your contractor will make a whole lot more off the job if they can sell you a new roof, as opposed to repairing your old one. On the other hand, if a contractor thinks you don't have the money or won't go for a total roof replacement, they may try to talk you into a repair job, when you really would be dollar wise to get the new roof. These are just some things to think about before you contact a contractor.




Your introduction with a contractor will likely be made over the phone, but the first call you might want to place will be one to your state contractor licensing board. Most contractors will publish their contractors license number in their yellow page add, so you can check them out before you even call them. The state contractors board can tell you if the contractor's license and bond is up to date and active. If the contractor doesn't publish the license number, or the state informs you that all is not right, find another contractor. In fact, while your sitting there with the phone book in hand, check up on a few contractors and then select at least three to get a bid from.




When you do finally start calling the contractors on your short list, a first question you might ask is: "do you give free estimates?" If you get an affirmative answer a good follow up would be: "will that estimate be in writing?" You may actually go through several contractors before you find a few that will give you a yes answer to both of these questions. You may also what to inquire as to how long the contractor has been in business. If they have survived for five years or more, they are probably business savvy and know what they are doing around a roof as well. The contractors will probably ask you some questions too, like what kind of roof do you have, how old is it, and so on. Try not to answer any more questions than you have to, and just get an appointment for the contractor to come and give you an estimate for the job.